Beeld story 22 Aug

Milnerton Opening makes the paper

The sign at the door reads, “Children Welcome”. Behind this door is a comfortable room that is brightly decorated and child-friendly. But it’s a room children should never have to visit. It is a state-of-the-art, reporting facility at the Family Violence Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) at Milnerton police station that was created by the nonprofit organisation, Matla a Bana, to minimise the secondary abuse child victims suffer when reporting crime. The facility has an inviting waiting room, an assessment room with a bed, play area and toys that is linked to a monitoring room by a two-way mirror. It is also equipped with audiovisual recording apparatus.

It’s the fourth of its kind in the Western Cape with a fifth earmarked for Khayelitsha soon. Depending on available facilities at a police station, a room like this could cost between R60 000 and R150 000 to set up. Milnerton is one of 25 FCS units in the Western Cape and the aim is to eventually equip them all with rooms like these, but more sponsorship is needed. Claremont Rotary is their main sponsor, while Shellard Media sponsors the audiovisual equipment. Monique Strydom, founded Matla a Bana in 2002 to “create a voice against child abuse”. It is managed by the Callie and Monique Strydom Charity Trust, which was founded soon after she and her husband, Callie, survived a four month hostage ordeal at the hands of Abu Sayyaf rebels in Jolo, Philippines for four months in 2000.

She said August 27 marked 11 years of freedom for her, and recalled the impact the gang rape of two fellow female hostages had on them despite the rebels’ promise that they would never kill or rape the women, but rather use them as “instruments”. She equated the fear they were left with to the fear children face when abused by adults who were meant to protect them. Despite the challenges in prevention, she applauded the police for the work they did in combating child abuse crimes. She encouraged people to report these crimes and said they needed to establish more “faith and trust in children coming to SAPS.”

“We can work together as a community. This facility is purely for victims. Police investigate and make arrests. They are not here to look after the victim. That’s why we are here to do this. This facility will help get disclosure.” Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Arno Lamoer said crime reports were never easy to digest. Referring to a horrific case of violence in a home he said, “Thirty years and it still shocks me.” He called for communities to mobilise and take care of children with the same vigour with which they mobilised themselves against apartheid. He said all parents wanted freedom for their children, but that one of the biggest prisons could be the home where children grew up. He encouraged sponsors to come forward to invest in projects of this nature. “We can spend millions on wars but unless we invest in our children we will never survive. All great men were children once. We must give them an opportunity.”

Matla a Bana runs numerous soft skills training programmes for the police. They also train doctors to do expert forensic medical examinations and train and equip forensic social workers. Visit www.matlaabana.co.za or call 021 913 9107 to find out more about their projects and if you want to offer sponsorships. Keep kids out of this room.

Pam Fourie (Tabletalk Newspaper)

Gauteng doctors trained

Congratulations to the group of doctors and FCS members who completed the Forensic Medical Examination and Expert Witnessing Course hosted by MAB in Gauteng in June. Thank you also to Dr Tromp Els, the NPA and Old Mutual Foundation for making this training possible.

Romans Pizzas Does It Again!

There is not stop to our favourite pizza people! Not only did the staff at Roman's Pizzas pack another 200 comfort packs during the last two months, they also phoned us with great news - a donation of more R 50 000 towards the Matla A Bana Projects!

Thanx Bonnie and all our Roman's shop owners for your continued support!

Making an early start on their Mandela Day community service project, RamsayMedia’s Johannesburg and Cape Town staff downed tools on Friday, 15 July to assemble 200 comfort packs for young rape victims. The brightly coloured packs were handed over at the end of the day to representatives of the SAPS Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units and Matla a Bana.

RamsayMedia has adopted Matla a Bana as its annual Mandela Day initiative by packing and donating these packs for child-abuse victims. Last year RamsayMedia donated 150 packs and the team was challenged to aid more children this time around. Financial contributions came from the staff, the company and the Norton Ramsay Foundation (a trust established by the previous chairman), while Ackermans, Easywear and Hospitality Suite were quick to provide facecloths, soap and underwear to the worthy cause.

Staff enthusiastically made their way down the assembly line, filling the bags before writing a personal message on each one. These were handed over at the end of the day, ready for distribution on Mandela’s birthday.

Thank you to Sandy and the RamsayMedia staff for this great support!

WC Doctors to receive training this weekend

This weekend more than 25 doctors and SAPS FCS members will receive training in expert witnessing in court and forensic medical examination. This will be hosted by Matla A Bana in Cape Town.

Rotary Claremont will support again

We have just received fab news from Rotary Claremont! This group will once again support several MAB WC projects, including the implementation of a Child-Friendly Reporting Facility at Milnerton FCS! Thanx Rotary Claremont for your continued support!

John talks to Matla A Bana

Thanx to John Maytham for doing a fab interview with Monique very early one morning. John also paid a visit to the Kraaifontein Unit where he met the members and helped with the packing of some comfort packs! Thanx also to Cape Talk for your continued support of our project!

Spinning for Matla A Bana

Police in the Honeydew precinct commemorated Child Protection Week by participating in a spin-a-thon to raise funds for charity.

About 380 police members participated in the five-hour event on a rotation basis where they also raised funds for the Matla-a-Bana charity project.

Honeydew police spokesman, Warrant Officer Karen Jacobs said, "The spin-a-thon was incorporated as part of our social responsibility in conjunction with the Fitness and Wellness programme initiated by General Bheki Cele.

"The main aim was to ensure our members' fitness while contributing towards making a difference to child protection. We collected boxes of donations which we handed to the charity."

Cluster commander, Major General Oswald Reddy thanked participating members and encouraged them to treat child victims with empathy and support. A minute of silence was observed in memory of children who have been or are victims of abuse.

-Ayanda Buthelezi

Join us for Child Protection Week

Matla A Bana, Friends of Child Protection and Connect Network is calling all churches, schools, companies and South Africans to join our Christian response to Child Abuse during Child Protection Week.

Child Protection Week will be celebrated from 23 – 29 May 2011 and on 5 June it is the World Wide Day of Prayer for Children at Risk.

We appeal to you to join this Christian response by:
· Hosting a Service of Hope and Blessing.
· Dedicating a part of your service, assembly time or daily staff meeting to the Green Ribbon Candle Ceremony.
· Wearing a green ribbon.

For more information on how you can take part go to http://www.matlaabana.co.za/

CAPE EPIC SPONSORS

Thank you to the following companies for supporting Francois and Dirkie by donating funds to MAB!

Anti Corruption Conference

THANK YOU ROMAN'S PIZZA

Thank you to Bonnie and the Roman's Pizza group for donating yet another 100 Comfort Packs in Gauteng and offering to do many more during April!

MAB in the Cape Epic

MAB Cape Epic Supporter - Enge Coetzer!

This year Matla A Bana will be presented at the Cape Epic by Team SENEKAL ALLEN. We would like to wish Francios Coetzer and Dirkie van der Merwe all of the best with this great challenge. And also thank them for profiling the abuse against our children. We are behind you 100%! May you have a great cycle!

Training - medical doctors

On 3 & 4 February Matla a Bana in Gauteng was buzzing! It was finally time to train the doctors in the province on how to do a medical examination on child-abuse and rape victims. Cariena Coetzee of the NPA and Dr Tromp Els Forensic Specialist were the presenters of a two day training on FORENSIC MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND EXPERT WITNESSING! 27 Delegates attended this unique training! 8 FCS commanders, 1 Journalist, 1 Social Worker, 4 Forensic Nurses and 13 Doctors! The feedback was EXCELLENT and enquiries have been made for the next training of this standard!! Matla a Bana would like to thank Old Mutual Foundation, Roodepoort Townlodge and Mosaiek Church for your loyal support. Together we can make a huge difference in the prevention of secondary abuse and ensuring much better conviction rates by educating our Doctors and other professionals!